Rusty Wallace doesn’t think NASCAR will actually be sold

Rusty Wallace is among those who doesn’t think the France family really has any intentions of selling NASCAR.

The idea of the France family selling NASCAR, something that has been gaining steam in recent weeks, would have been unthinkable not that long ago. Count Rusty Wallace among the people who believe it still is.

The former NASCAR Cup Series champion and Hall of Famer is still very active in the sport, both at the grassroots level and covering it at the top level as part of the Motor Racing Network radio team. With the friendships and business relationships he’s built over the years added in, it would be silly to think his opinion on what is going on with stock car racing’s governing body was anything less than a well-educated guess.

So it’s interesting to hear Wallace say he doesn’t think the Frances are really interested in a sale, something he recently told the Kingsport Times-News:

"I think that whole thing was more of an exploratory deal to see what the state of the sport is. I don’t personally think they’re going to sell NASCAR. I think (the rumors) got a little out of control.I would be real surprised if they sell NASCAR. I don’t think it’s going to happen."

He could be right, and NASCAR’s owners might simply be doing their due diligence. Despite the oft-reported statistics of declining attendance and TV ratings, the sport isn’t penniless or in ruins by any means. Felix Sabates, who has been part of the sport for years, recently suggested that is the tracks owned by ISC are included, NASCAR might bring $25 billion in a sale.

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If that’s the case, and particularly with the headwinds stock car racing is facing at the moment, that sum would make anyone stop and ponder the correct move. Still, if Wallace is on target with his hunch, we shouldn’t expect anyone but the family who has long run the sport to be in charge any time soon.